Half of students have less than 10% of loans left after Christmas festivities

6 months ago

3 Min Read

By Gee Harland

The holiday season has proven to be very difficult for Cardiff University students this year. Infographics released by VoucherCodes has revealed many students have been left in their overdrafts post Christmas shopping.

The website surveyed 1,002 students across the country for their research. They focused on asking students how they will be celebrating Christmas this year and aimed to reveal any challenges students face joining the festivities.

One of the main challenges of the Christmas season for students is financial difficultly. Many students wholly rely on their loans to live independently through University. This means the festive season brings a lot of students into their overdrafts, due to the extra expenses.

It has been set that Cardiff students will spend an average of £145.60 on gifts, travel and their festive celebrations this Christmas. Some students spend more than £100 on travel alone.

VoucherCodes reveal that three-quarters (74%) of Cardiff students admit they significantly cut back on their spending during December so they can afford Christmas. Another two-fifths (44%) admit to borrowing money from their parents until their next student loan in January.

One University student states: “I constantly worry about money. I’m working so many night shifts I literally am scared I’m going to fall asleep all the time. I’m so tired I skip meals because I’m terrified, I don’t have money”.

It is not just the financial difficulties that makes the Christmas period hard for students. The research also revealed that the majority of Cardiff students (71%) claim it is difficult to work on assignments and revise during the festive period.

Almost half (44%) of students even claim they do not enjoy the festive period due to University pressures. Sophie Lay, a postgraduate student, claims: “You have no time or space to struggle while you have deadlines to work on. Not to mention the fact lots of people struggle at this time of year so support is hard to come by”.

However, there is a more positive element for students going home at Christmas. Many students (71%) stating their Christmas dinner is the best home-cooked meal since moving to University.

Anita Naik, Lifestyle Editor at VoucherCodes.co.uk, concludes: “Christmas is a special time of year to celebrate the festivities with family and friends”.

“For students, it can mean so much more as they try to break free from the stresses of university life and briefly enjoy the perks of being surrounded by familiar faces, not least Christmas dinner and not having to pay bills!”